This forum makes use of cookies to store your login information if you are registered, and your last visit if you are not. Cookies are small text documents stored on your computer; the cookies set by this forum can only be used on this website and pose no security risk. Cookies on this forum also track the specific topics you have read and when you last read them. Please confirm whether you accept or reject these cookies being set.

A cookie will be stored in your browser regardless of choice to prevent you being asked this question again. You will be able to change your cookie settings at any time using the link in the footer.

Just thought I would share with the group some recent (and rather geeky findings) regarding adding bespoke and edited Maps to a Garmin 605/705 and any other GPS device which supports bespoke maps.

This whole thing came about whether or not to upgrade to a Satmap Active 10, Garmin Edge 705 - or just stick with my current Edge 305.

Ok, so I read on various websites that a Garmin 705 can now take Custom "open-source" maps from the internet. This is great, as there is a massive community making a world map with own and new features which is updated globally weekly here:

It is possible to upload this map to a Garmin 705 - but why would you want to do that?

Firstly, Maps for all GPS devices are expensive, and the very day you buy one, its probably out of date.
Secondly (or thirdly?) Certain Bikers within this geeky world are adding Trails to the OpenSource Map - so its now possible to have a really MTB specific map on a device - And its FREE.
Thirdly (or we now up to 5 now?) : The maps are updated regularly, at least weekly, sometimes every day.

For those familiar with a Garmin 705 (a few owners on here) the basemap on the unit and in its PC program "Mapsource" are basic to the extreme.

OpenMTBMap use the base Open Source Map but has edited the look and add trailheads, trails, PUBS, and even bikeshops for the avid cyclist.

This opens up mapping to a whole new area, an OS Map, albeit fantastic and a benchmark for all maps, is now limit in comparison as you cannot always determine trails as most are never mapped "officially" by the Ordnance Survey.

To give you an idea, please see the 2 screenshots below - one is the PC basemap which comes with a Garmin on Mapsource, the second is the OpenMTB Map downloaded a few days ago - please notice the Bewl water trail and Bedgebury singletrack clearly marked for a rider to follow - also national cycle route 18.

Going by the total wealth of things emerging regarding and the sheer "up to date nature" of FREE Maps - Im totally drawn to getting a Garmin Edge 705.

The lack of detail on those maps makes me want to cut my eyes out but if they work for you then thats good. On a related note as you have looked into this, are there any form of maps compatible with Memory Map that cover Germany? I see they have a French version out now but I don't think they have the same OS setup as us although I will tolerate lower detail maps if available for those two countries.

I presume all of the trails shown on teh surrey pic for example are available as gpx so I could import into memory map?

On a related note, I saw a thread on BR about someone who has a trails website and hes had to remove some/all of the routes due to legal reasons ie he as the webmaster becomes responsible for ensuring they are 100% legal and dont use footpaths or cross private ground etc

To elaborate further on what was mentioned above, I have been using the OpenStreetMap on my Edge 605 (705 without HRM) for a while now and the maps are excellent indeed. A lot of details and in a very different way to the OS map. Some details are more specific to what you could expect to see as a rider or walker (location of gates, bus stops, post box). Many details you would not find on many of the commercial maps and this all thanks to the editable nature of the map. If you are in the market for a gps, to me OpenStreetMap gives the Garmin a serious advantage over the competition as the maps are in constant evolution (as in your screenshot above with 'barry knows better' already there). Level of details for the OpenStreetMap from <!-- m --><a class="postlink" href="http://openmtbmap.org/">http://openmtbmap.org/</a><!-- m --> is very impressive. Far more details than you would need on such a small unit (all depends how you use it on the trails)

Looking at the screenshots above, the first one is the basemap that comes with the Garmin 605/705 but Garmin also sell a TOPO map for the UK which has far more details than this and contains all the right of ways (although no obvious distinction between footpath and bridleways!). Still not as good as an OS map.

There are a few websites posting their own version of OpenStreetMap ready to be downloaded on Garmin:
<!-- m --><a class="postlink" href="http://openmtbmap.org/">http://openmtbmap.org/</a><!-- m --> which I use as updated on a regular basis
<!-- m --><a class="postlink" href="http://sites.google.com/site/talkytoasteruk/ukmaps">http://sites.google.com/site/talkytoasteruk/ukmaps</a><!-- m -->
<!-- m --><a class="postlink" href="http://www.mapomatic.net/garmin-maps-download/">http://www.mapomatic.net/garmin-maps-download/</a><!-- m -->
richard.dev.openstreetmap.org for National Cycle Network map with contours

I have just started to upload some of the singletracks around Blean based on my gps recordings, so hopefully these will appear soon on OpenStreetMap and try to map most of the trails we ride.

Thanks Michael - What does the OpenMTBMap or Talkytoaster versions physically look like on the Garmin?

Im almost at the "Garmin 705 in shopping basket" stage of my research.

Im lead to believe that the 605/705 translates the image differently to a more basic look?

If its possible to get the screen to look identical to <!-- w --><a class="postlink" href="http://www.opencyclemap.org">www.opencyclemap.org</a><!-- w --> then that would be a total winner! -Those gradients/contours on the top of that site are great.

Ive got a feeling the 605/705 is lower res for that kind of look(?)

I agree with what you say regarding the information this Open Source mapping has - hence why Im so keen to delve into it and get a unit capable of running them.

I only use the maps from <!-- m --><a class="postlink" href="http://openmtbmap.org/">http://openmtbmap.org/</a><!-- m --> as they are updated every 2 weeks. The guy that compile the maps is a keen mountain biker, so the maps are taylored toward what we do. The maps from <!-- m --><a class="postlink" href="http://openmtbmap.org/">http://openmtbmap.org/</a><!-- m --> seem to be more detailled than what is on OpenStreetMaps and it's exactly how they appear on the 605/705. The original TOPO maps from Garmin don't seem use much of the colors the screen is able to display. The maps from <!-- m --><a class="postlink" href="http://openmtbmap.org/">http://openmtbmap.org/</a><!-- m --> are displayed in color on the 605/705. Very good and clear. All the map from http://openmtbmap.org/ can be downloaded and seen with MapSource without the need for the GPS

Only limitation I can see so far are places like Deal/Dover where hardly any tracks have been reported yet. Blean has got the main tracks, BBH has got very limited trails.
If you combine it with MemoryMap to plan your route, then the garmin are a very good compromise.

Not seen the new GPS from Memory map yet which could also be quite good